The Fastpitch Chronicle

The state record for the most automatic home runs in the same game was tied twice this week. The record is three in the same game.

There was a time when an automatic home run was impossble in most Wisconsin High School Fastpitch games. Until 2002 it wasn't even possible to hit an automatic home run in a state tournament game. It had never been done before that!

Most fields that high school fastpitch games were played on didn't have outfield fences or the ones that were there were at distances for men's fastpitch or even farther away from home plate for men's slowpitch games.

In 2002 the WIAA state softball tournament moved to Goodman Diamond and finally, for the first time since the sport was first played by high school girls in Wisconsin (1976) somebody hit a state tournament automatic home run.

Since then hundreds of balls have been seen sailing over outfield fences. Even in this, the most miserable of seasons when it comes to weather conditions, automatic home runs have become a common occurrence.

This week alone, two Wisconsin high school girls blasted three automatic home runs in one game. Meg Krautsch of Oshkosh West hit three in a game against Kimberly on Monday. Kraustch went 3-for-4 for the day, belting a three-run home run in the third inning and two solo home runs in the fifth and seventh innings to provide all five Oshkosh West runs in the victory. On Wednesday Stephanie Lombardo of New Berlin Eisenhower cracked three that went up, up and away in a game against Pius XI. She went 4x4 with six rbi in the 15-2 win.

Their names have been added to the Wisconsin High School Fastpitch Softball Records page of The Fastpitch Chronicle website.

Congratulations to both girls. They will both be receiving Fastpitch Chronicle State Record Award Certificates.